When it comes to my writing, certain things, events or people inspire the blogs I write. Motivation and inspiration is everywhere. The phrase “love is sacrifice” would have never been a thought to cross my mind if it weren’t for a recent conversation I had with a friend. I guess it wouldn’t have crossed my mind because the idea of it is natural. To love someone often comes with sacrifice; it’s a given and most times comes naturally without a second thought. If you’re a parent, you naturally make sacrifices for your children without thinking twice about it. As a child, you naturally make sacrifices for your parents out of respect, in every stage of your life. And as a significant other, you make sacrifices to make life work with the one you love. It seems strange that “love” and “sacrifice” would be coined in the same phrase. But if you think about it, no two people are alike. Sometimes you have to bend to compromise. Sometimes personalities have to clash to make things work. Otherwise, if we were all the same, the world would be all rainbows and butterflies and there would be no individuality or differences.
Sacrifice is not always something that is a requirement. You don’t frequently hear “friendship is sacrifice”. I guess for some people, that would be a true statement. But friends come and go. There isn’t much I would sacrifice to save a friendship. But for love…love is eternal and something everyone needs, no matter the compacity in which it’s given. So YES! Only love is sacrifice!
Contrary to my last blog about love, marriage and union (don’t get me wrong, I want a wedding and marriage!) when I think about making sacrifices for love, it scares me! Am I THAT selfish that I wouldn’t want to sacrifice small parts of my norm to make love work? Being on a routine and loving the same person for the rest of my life isn’t something I’ve thought intensely about…until now. Ya know, when you’re single and you’re able to do what you want when you want, the thought of normality and routine can be scary. However, I’ve sacrificed so much for my child, so how different could it be? When you’re single you’re constantly yearning for a relationship and when you’re in a relationship you’re constantly yearning for marriage…until you realize the sacrifices you’ll be making. In a relationship you have to be respectful and thoughtful with your actions. There is give and take-you can’t be out partying all night and not taking into consideration that you have a significant other! The party days aren’t the same; that’s not saying they have to be over, but they aren’t the same, you’re not single. You also have to be conscientious of someone else’s feelings. It’s not just about you! But in the end, if love is what you want, the sacrifices are minimal. There’s someone out there who will come into your life and make you realize that the sacrifices will be worth it! How do I know? I’ve been in love before! Not in the sense of holy matrimony with sacrifice/compromise, but pretty darn close. And with that relationship I was too young to realize the concept of how compromise and mutual understanding would make our love everlasting, hence the reason our love wasn’t everlasting and longevity was short-lived.
As love is sacrifice, I guess it all depends on the sacrifices you’re willing to make. It determines the longevity of the relationship you’ve been yearning to be in. If you’re not willing to compromise, how long can a happy, healthy relationship really last? The sacrifices you’re willing to make determine the type of parent or child you’ll be. I know a few people who aren’t willing to make sacrifices for children because they feel they are not ready, they feel they are too selfish, they may never have children. I know a few people who aren’t willing to make sacrifices for marriage, they like their freedom, being able to come and go as they please or with whom they please, and may never be marriage material. On the flip side, I know someone who is willing to sacrifice their youth and all the exhilarating things someone in their early twenties would experience, to be with his girlfriend who is older than him; all because he loves her and their relationship. So, see, it’s all dependent upon what you’re willing to give up.
I’m willing to make sacrifices, but only if those sacrifices come with compromise. I would never sacrifice my relationship with my family for love, I would never sacrifice my career for someone who doesn’t respect my hustle and I would never sacrifice my morals. If there is someone out there in the world who can compromise with that, then I guess for me there will come a time when I can actually say Love is Sacrifice.
What are you willing to sacrifice, or not sacrifice, for love?
XOXO,
TJ
📷 Photo Cred Courtesy of: Deviant Art